Reflections

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Wow! 13 years. It hardly seems possible. I don’t feel any older, at least mentally, than I was 13 years ago, but I hope that I am a better wife than I was back then.

We’ve had a lot of fun together over these 13 years. We’ve camped and explored all over the U.S. together. We’ve biked through Cape Cod and gone swimming off the shores of Nantucket. We’ve hiked through Yellowstone and snorkeled in the Bahamas.

We’ve learned a lot in the last 13 years too. We’ve learned how to communicate, how to deal with in-laws, how to live together and how to change diapers without getting wet.

We’ve gotten a mortgage. We’ve gotten some dogs. We’ve gotten a few cars and big yard. We’ve gotten degrees and given up careers. We’ve gotten fat and gone on diets.

We’ve worked together over the years too. We’ve built 3 houses and grown a big garden. We’ve led church programs and started new classes at school. We’ve studied and passed and studied and failed. And we’re working as hard as we can together to raise three great kids.

Which brings me to the three best moments of the last 13 years. We always stay in the hospital for 2 whole days after our kids are born. Those are always the best days! The baby just sleeps and looks cute and we have nothing better to do than lay around in bed and talk. Someone brings us our meals, and our baby for that matter. We are far away from home so we get a few visitors but most of the time it is just the three of us loving each other.

I remember after Kinley was born especially. It was so sudden and shocking and PAINFUL. We were both in shock for several hours, I think. We couldn’t believe how it had all happened so quickly. We barely had time to take it in. We talked and talked until we finally collapsed from exhaustion that night. Then we both woke up in the middle of the night and just talked some more about the whole experience and how crazy it was. Parents of babies that are less than a day old should not be waking up in the middle of the night unless the baby herself is responsible for it…but when you’ve been through a harrowing and thrilling experience together there is a lot to say. We both realized how peaceful (well after the first couple of hours) and wonderful and fleeting those two days were and we cherished every second.

I wouldn’t want to spend 13 minutes, let alone 13 years, with anyone else.

I love you, sweetie.